The Canadian Technology Accelerators (CTA), a global initiative led by the Government of Canada's Trade Commissioner Service, unveiled its 9th annual cohort of cleantech & climatetech start-ups.  

The CTA Cleantech program supports early-stage cleantech companies looking to secure Seed to Series A funding rounds by enabling access to four of the most robust cleantech markets in the U.S.-- San Francisco, Denver, Boston, and New York. The program is led by the Consulates General of Canada in each city, working together with cleantech ecosystem contributors including the Cleantech Open (CTO), Columbia Technology Ventures, The U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), Powerhouse and The Urban Future Lab at New York University-Tandon. The CTA Cleantech program has served over 62 companies that have secured more than $219 million in venture funding to date.

After soliciting applications from across Canada's dynamic cleantech landscape, a panel of leading U.S. venture capitalists evaluated the applicants based on market fit and growth potential.  The full cohort of companies, their objectives and their capabilities are available in the 2020 CTA Cleantech Dealbook. Members of the cohort include:

1. 2S Water: Realtime metal detection in water for environmental compliance and process optimization.
2. ADC Technologies: Making data centers carbon negative through superior cooling.
3. Audette: Liberating clean capital for commercial building retrofits.
4. Elocity: Accelerating EV adoption through a connected EV world.
5. EnergyX: Empowering utilities to streamline and automate their energy efficiency programs.
6. Greenr Technologies: Verified authenticity for participants in the carbon credits market.
7. Ionic Solutions: Reducing the cost to achieve clean water.
8. Ionomr: Advanced materials to disrupt the hydrogen and clean energy economy.
9. Kanin Energy: Creating clean power from waste heat and developing other industrial efficiency solutions.
10. Planetary Hydrogen: Enabling the production of drop-in carbon-negative hydrocarbon fuels.
11. Polystyvert: Technology providing virgin-like recycled polystyrene to the plastic industry.
12. QD Solar: Next generation photovoltaic technology for module makers to charge high premiums.
13. Stash Energy: Saving end users more than any other heat pump on the market.

"We are thrilled to usher in such a talented and diverse cohort of Canada's most innovative early-stage companies that are primed to make an impact on the U.S. market," said Khawar Nasim, Acting Consul General of Canada in New York. "These are challenging times for founders, and we are committed to help forge meaningful connections that will accelerate the growth of their businesses in these markets long-term."

Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the 12-week program will be hosted virtually from September through November to allow founders to connect with U.S. mentors, investors, customers and innovation partners from the comfort of their homes. The cohort will have opportunities to leverage the following programmatic elements, among others:

-          Acceptance into the 2020 Cleantech Open (CTO) Accelerator Program for CTA cohort members that meet the CTO entrance criteria. CTO offers start-ups access to extensive mentorship, training, investor meetings, cash prizes, and connections to many professionals across the cleantech and entrepreneurship community. In the second year of this partnership, CTO is supporting ADC Technologies, Greenr Technologies and QD Solar.

-          40 hours of coaching for cohort members from NYSERDA's Entrepreneur-In-Residence program, administered by Columbia Technology Ventures. This includes customized mentor matching with industry-leading sector experts to work through specific projects and issues affecting market entry.  

-          A direct pitch to researchers at National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), with up to three cohort companies receiving 40 hours of complementary lab time for use with third-party validation or technical problem solving.

-          Advisory services for go-to-market strategy and personalized introductions to U.S. market contacts (in particular those in the Greater New York City area) facilitated by the Urban Future Lab at New York University-Tandon (UFL).

-          Pitch deck review and edits facilitated by an experienced graphic designer.

-          Tailored opportunities to pitch in front of U.S.-based investors, buyers and tech scouts.

-          Individual assessments to identify and tackle market barriers and strategies for successfully exporting or raising funds in the U.S.

Canadian Technology Accelerator Program | tradecommissioner.gc.ca/cta-atc